Areas of Focus
Areas of Focus
We strive to support school cafeterias through climate and culture, taste-testing events and opportunities, and connecting students with the food on their plates. With that, our partner districts work hard to source local, sustainable, and culturally relevant foods for school meals.
Our Food Literacy Educators spend many hours throughout the school year supporting food and farm education in school gardens and classrooms. They work directly with students to connect them with curriculums surrounding food and farm, providing them with hands on experience from seed to plate.
Engaging with the community through local food procurement, school field trips, and local connections is an important part of our program's work. We engage with many industry professionals to source from, engage with, and offer experiences to students.
Program Pillars
Our food literacy educators provide year-round, seasonally focused lessons on food and farming. These lessons cover a range of topics, including nutrition, sustainable agriculture, cooking skills, local food systems, cultural relevance, and the environmental impact of food production. Through hands-on activities and interactive discussions, students gain a deeper understanding of where their food comes from, how to make healthy choices, and the role that farms and farmers play in their communities.
Our program emphasizes student-led learning by incorporating project-based learning (PBL) and hands-on experiences that extend beyond traditional classroom settings. Through these opportunities, students actively explore real-world challenges related to food, farming, and sustainability, developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills along the way. They engage in hands-on opportunities not only in the classroom but also in school gardens, cafeterias, and community spaces, where they can apply what they learn. These experiences allow students to take ownership of their learning, make meaningful connections to their local food systems, and gain practical skills that promote lifelong wellness and community involvement.
Local food is central to our program, woven into every aspect of our approach to food education. We create meaningful opportunities for students to connect with local food sources, from hands-on farm field trips where they can meet farmers and learn about sustainable practices, to incorporating fresh, locally grown produce into school meals. By engaging with local food in multiple settings—including growing it themselves in their own school gardens—students gain a deeper appreciation for where their food comes from and the work that goes into producing it. This connection to local food not only enriches their understanding of the food system but also fosters healthier eating habits, supports local farmers, and strengthens ties between schools and the surrounding community. Through these experiences, students learn the value of fresh, seasonal ingredients and gain skills and knowledge to make informed food choices that benefit both their health and their local environment.
Cultivate MI is a student-led project that takes place twice a year. This initiative is a collaboration between school food service directors and Muskegon Area Career Tech Center Food and Hospitality students. Through this program, students have the opportunity to develop their own recipes that:
Feature locally sourced produce
Meet USDA school nutrition standards
Are easily scalable for school kitchens
Appeal to K-12 students
Over the course of eight weeks, students refine over 30 initial recipes down to just two, which are then sampled district-wide during school lunch. They then take on the responsibility of preparing these recipes at scale, serving them to students, and gathering feedback directly in the lunchroom.
Through this project, students develop valuable skills in recipe development, food preparation, and large-scale meal production. They gain hands-on experience in meeting nutritional standards, budgeting for large-scale cooking, and understanding the preferences of their peers. The project also fosters teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills as students collaborate with food service professionals and adapt their recipes based on feedback. Cultivate MI empowers students to take active roles in promoting local food and nutrition, building practical skills and a stronger connection to their community food system.
Harvest of The Month is a cafeteria program that highlights seasonal produce throughout the school year. Our Food Literacy Educators Work with cafeteria staff to develop and create recipe samples focusing a seasonally relevant fruit or vegetable. Food Literacy Educators then serve samples of this recipe during school lunch while additionally providing handouts and activities for students to engage with. This program not only introduces students to fresh, local produce but also supports their understanding of nutrition, seasonality, and the benefits of eating locally grown foods.